“A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet”

I have the distinct privilege of penning some thoughts about that blessed group of people – fathers.  Oh, how I could go on and on about my father – suffice it to say that my father was, and continues to be in my heart, very special.  He is a rock – so principled and so kind.Whether you call him “Dad” or “Pa” or “Pop”, “Father” or “Daddy”, he is, and always will be, your father.  Traditionally, the father figure is one of leadership, strength, one of being a provider and protector.  In the tradition of, “I Tarzan, you Jane”, the male figure goes out and hunts for food and the female then prepares it.  Now, is this always the case?  Absolutely not ~ if your father does not embody any or all of these qualities, it does not mean that you have a dud for a dad.

When I was growing up, my father always made me know that he loved me.  In his typically reserved English fashion, he did not actually say those words until I was perhaps in my twenties or thirties but I always knew that he loved me.  Now, was my father perfect?  Of course not, but he was perfect for me!

One of the many things my father taught me is the fact that you should love your work – whatever it is you are doing.  Father loved his work – not that it was always easy – but he loved his work.  Not once did I ever hear my father say that he dreaded going to work that day!  I realize now that this was a wonderful lesson as one tends to spend a lot of time at work!  Also, as long as you are loving something, that love shows – the outcome is usually one hundred times better than something someone has done without love.

Whether your father is living or not, as Father’s Day approaches, think about the admirable qualities that your father embodies in your mind and in your heart.  If your father is still with us, be sure to let him know that you appreciated those qualities….and this goes for the father of your children as well.

Remember, you are who you are, in no small part, because of what your father has taught you, spoken and unspoken.  Not all fathers are biological.  Certainly, for some of us, there are those extraordinary men who are fathers to children who are not necessarily their own.

When we are children, meaning well, our parents pack our emotional bags, to send us on life’s journey.   It is our job, as adults, to unpack them, examine what is there and then to decide to keep the things we need (and that would be absolutely everything that is good) and to discard the things we do not need (everything that is not good).

If you have not already, maybe it’s time to take inventory of the good your father has shared with you and to express gratitude to your father for those things that have made your journey a better one.

Join with us in celebrating the wonderful fathering qualities that we see around us.  They certainly add more love, create more joy and provide us with a more abundant life!